End Credits is back from the holiday break, and for one week only, it’s going to be a live affair! To kick off the new year, we’re going to tackle a six-pack of the several movies that came out in the theatre over the last few weeks, from fish-men to spider-men, from transforming robots to transformative performances, and from nannies to queens. We’ve got something for everyone!

This Wednesday, January 9, at 2 pm, Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

REVIEW: Aquaman (2018). After debuts in Batman V. Superman and Justice League, the King of the Seven Seas finally gets his own movie, and no one’s laughing anymore at Aquaman! Jason Mamoa plays the rightful King of Atlantis, who must fight across the world’s water ways in order to battle for, and claim, his birthright. From soldiers riding sharks, guys that shoot laser beams from their ludicrously big helmets, giant sea monsters, fish zombies, and the improbable renaissance of Dolph Lundgren, Aquaman breaks the superhero mould.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). If you thought you didn’t need another Spider-Man movie, think again! Focusing on the newest Spider-Man, young mixed-race high schooler Miles Morales, this animated adventure teams him with a variety of Spider-Men, and Women, in order to stop the Kingpin from destroying the multiverse. Supervised by LEGO Movie masterminds Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Spider-Verse is a rollicking adventure through Spider-Lore, and is one of the freshest new superhero takes of the decade.

REVIEW: Bumblebee (2018). Just when you thought that you had seen everything a Transformers movie can do, Travis Knight does something different: make a Transformers movie with a heart that’s also good. Abandoning “Bayhem” for more tradition storytelling devices like character and story arcs, we see Hailee Steinfeld in 1987 and bonding with her new best friend, a robot that turns into a VW bug. It’s the Transformers movie you’ve probably wanted to see along, probably too late to save the franchise.

REVIEW: Mary Poppins Returns (2018). Mary Poppins is back, and this time, it’s personal. As part of Disney’s effort to make everything old new again, Emily Blunt steps into the role of the musically inclined, flying nanny who’s practically perfect in every way. Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda lends a hand as Mary Poppins returns to Earth to help the family of the now grown Michael Banks remember a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Or something. Singing, dancing, animated penguins… Mass hysteria follows.

REVIEW: The Favourite (2018).The Lobster and Killing of a Sacred Deer director Yorgos Lanthimos tackles his most accessible film yet, a royal court drama set in England in the 18th century about two conniving cousins and the distressed queen they try and manipulate in order to gain favour. Featuring probably the three greatest female performances of the year in one movie – Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz – The Favourite is as vicious as it is entertaining.

REVIEW: Vice (2018). Speaking of Transformers, Christian Bale punished his body again for Vice, in which he plays former Vice-President Dick Cheney, a man so many people regard as pure evil, it had to be psychologically punishing too. The Big Short’s Adam McKay takes on one of America’s most influential and controversial political figures with his signature wit, and a trio of great performances including Bale, Amy Adams as Mrs Cheney, and serious dramatic actor Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld.